Quebec restaurant staff make more, work less than other Canadian provinces

Quebec restaurant employees are earning a higher wage and working fewer hours than the servers, dishwashers and bartenders in other Canadian provinces, according to a new report from the Quebec Restaurant Association.

Quebec restaurant employees are earning a higher wage and working fewer hours than the servers, dishwashers and bartenders in other Canadian provinces.

A report from the Quebec Restaurant Association (ARQ) says that restaurant industry employees in the province make an average of $25.70 per hour, which is $1.11 more than the Canadian average.

It's a reverse of the numbers from 2013 (when it was $16.25/hour) to 2020 ($22.80), where Quebec's average wage was below the national average.

At the same time, Quebecers in the industry are working fewer hours. Since 2020, Quebecers have worked fewer hours than other Canadians doing the same job.

In 2023, Quebec restaurant staff worked an average of 1,263 per year, while other Canadians worked 1,354, according to the ARQ, which represents around 5,300 establishments in the province.

Avant Garde co-founder Renaud Gouin said the numbers make sense.

The bru-pub co-owner said that during the pandemic, many employees changed industries, leading to a massive labour shortage in 2020-2021 after restaurants reopened.